Floating firing pin for small revolver

Abstract

A small, single action revolver having a spring-biased, floating firing pin which is retained within a bore in the frame of the revolver by a lip on the inside surface of a side cover plate which, in turn, is attached to the frame and encloses the hammer and trigger mechanism within a recess in the frame.

I claim: 
     
       1. In a small, single action revolver of the type comprising a frame including a handle and a cylinder mounting portion, a cylinder, a barrel, a hammer, a trigger and a side cover plate which is attached to the frame and encloses the hammer and trigger in a recess in the frame of the revolver, a firing pin mechanism comprising: a cylindrical well in the frame extending inwardly from said recess in which the hammer is mounted towards the cylinder;   a bore having a smaller diameter than said well and bored concentrically inwardly from the inner end of said well through the frame to the open space in the frame which receives the cylinder, whereby an annular shoulder is formed at the inner end of said well around the open end of said bore;   a firing pin comprising a base portion having a cylindrical shape adapted to be received in said well, with an elongate pin portion extending axially from the inner end of said base portion, said pin portion adapted to extend into and through said bore, whereby the firing pin can move in reciprocal movement such that the pin portion thereof moves longitudinally back and forth within said bore;   spring means positioned in said well between the shoulder at the inner end of said well and said base portion of said firing pin so as to bias the firing pin toward the recess in said frame; and   a lip on the inside surface of the side cover plate, said lip being adapted to engage a portion of the side edge of the rear end of the base portion of the firing pin which faces the hammer mounted in said recess, said lip limiting the rearward movement of the firing pin towards said recess as a result of the biasing force of said spring means, so that when the hammer moves to its cocked position, a portion of the rear end of said base portion of said firing pin extends into said recess, and when the hammer moves forward in the firing of the revolver, the hammer strikes the rear end of the firing pin and drives the firing pin forward against the biasing force of said spring means.   
     
     
       2. A small single action revolver in accordance with claim 1, wherein the rear end of the base portion of the firing pin has a striker nub extending axially therefrom; and   said lip limits the rearward movement of the firing pin in a direction towards said recess so that only the striker nub on the rear end of the base portion of the firing pin extends into said recess when the hammer is moved to its cocked position.